Butternut Squash Risotto

Last night, my roommate Hannah and I finally got around to making butternut risotto. We’d planned to since the beginning of the month, and all the ingredients were in the fridge, so we decided to go for it. I can’t believe how good this stuff is… I was actually blown away. This is the perfect dinner for when you have about a half hour to spend in the kitchen, standing over the stove. Unfortunately, this is not a quick dinner that you can just let sit, but all the time and effort is definitely worth it. Obviously, a bowl of orange colored risotto isn’t going to be the most photogenic, especially in the horrible lighting I’m stuck with after dark. Nonetheless, the taste makes up for it and this is one of the best recipes I’ve tried in awhile (because I never try new things)!

To serve 2 you will need:

4 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small diced onion

1/2 butternut squash

LOTS of garlic (at least 2 cloves)

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup white wine

1/8 cup parmesan

1 tbsp butter

LOTS of black pepper

Start by slicing butternut into small cubes, dicing a small onion and chopping up the garlic. Add the olive oil, butternut, and onion to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until everything starts to cook down and the onions start to brown. Next, add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. The recipe calls for 2 cloves but I added two extra tablespoons, maybe more, when Hannah wasn’t looking. There’s no such thing as too much garlic. Add the rice to the pan and allow it to toast for a couple of minutes.

Now for the long part. Add the wine and stir until it is fully absorbed. Then, 1/2 cup at a time, add the broth and stir it in until it is absorbed. This process is going to take about 20-24 minutes. Make sure that the rice is creamy and soft before continuing to the next step.

Add the cheese (we definitely added extra), a lot of freshly ground black pepper and butter. Stir until it’s all melted and together. Then put the lid on and let it simmer for a couple minutes, but watch it carefully. Then stir it again and serve with more pepper.